Managing Pregnancy, Maternity & Parental Leave in the Workplace

We are celebrating the countdown to Baby Week 14-20 November 2024; putting fair employment practice centre stage by helping employers to get it right!

Improving Me-NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Women’s Health and Maternity Programme and the Liverpool Combined Authority Economies for Healthier Lives Team have launched a new toolkit for employers in Cheshire and Merseyside developed by Maternity Action on behalf of the NHS. This toolkit sits alongside a groundbreaking FREE maternity legal advice service for women in Cheshire and Merseyside.

The Managing pregnancy, maternity and parental leave in the workplace toolkit provides clear, accessible and free guidance. This provides small and medium-sized businesses with clear guidance on managing pregnancy, maternity, and parental leave and is packed with checklists, model policies, and answers to common questions.

Employers can use it to understand their legal obligations and create a supportive workplace for expectant mothers.

John White from the Economies for Healthier Lives team said, ’This practical resource is a very welcome addition to our Fair Employment Charter which celebrates fair employment practices where they are in place and drives-up standards elsewhere.’

Improving Me Director, Catherine McClennan shared, ‘We have always had a clear focus on promoting health and wellbeing for women and babies. Both the legal advice service and employer toolkit are clear articulations of our commitment to keeping all our women and babies well. And that includes staff too.’

Improving Me has been working in partnership with Maternity Action since 2020. This ground-breaking trial funded by the NHS the Cheshire and Merseyside women’s health and maternity programme is now being rolled out across the region, providing a dedicated Maternity Rights Advice Service for women, partners and families across the Cheshire and Merseyside region.